A REVIEW OF THE DRIVER-VEHICLE EFFECTIVENESS (DRIVEM) MODEL

This report documents the results of a critical review of the Driver-Vehicle Effectiveness Model (DRIVEM) developed for NHTSA in 1978. An addendum to the report describes changes incorporated into the DRIVEM software to improve its perormance. The DRIVEM computer model is an analytic/simulation tool. It incorporates known data which describe driver performance as influenced by variations in vehicle design, human factors responses, and driver capabilities in implementing accident-avoidance decisions and evasive actions. The objective of the model is to apply this data so as to produce quantitative estimates of accident probability and severity for specified environmental conditions. Such a tool can be applied to predict the effectiveness of a proposed safety system in reducing the potential for, and/or severity of, auto collisons for a variety of environmental conditions. These environment conditions are defined in terms of "situational scenarios" which represent the initial conditions of a potential accident situation. Following a detailed review of the model, sensitivity tests were conducted to analyze its performance. A workshop was held wherein invited experts in the field assessed the model and rendered conclusions and recommendations. The most prominant of these are: Conclusions: (1) DRIVEM is not acceptable as an evaluative tool at the present time; (2) DRIVEM can become a valuable tool to assess safety standards on a relative or ordinal scale if the model is satisfactorily upgraded; (3) The needed improvements to DRIVEM are technically feasible within its existing framework; the total estimated dollar investment will be in six figures; (4) It will be necessary to gather additional data to complete the DRIVEM data base for calibration purposes. Recommendations: (1) Review and correct the faults embedded in the current analysis/code; identify underlying causes for anomalies revealed by the sensitivity studies; (2) Improve driver scanning (i.e., eye-movement) and event detection models and upgrade the associated data base; (3) Validate the contrast threshold parameters and model; (4) Modify driver-vehicle interaction model so that it is time-dependent.

• Corporate Authors:

  KLD Associates, Incorporated

  47 Mall Drive, Suite 8
  Commack, NY  United States  11725-5717

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lieberman, E B
  • Goldblatt, R
• Publication Date: 1981-11

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 189 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash severity; Crashes; Driver performance; Drivers; Environment; Forecasting; Measures of effectiveness; Personnel performance; Safety; Simulation; Software; Standards; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident avoidance; Effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00367264
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt., HS-806 110
• Contract Numbers: DTNH22-80-C-07082
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 30 1982 12:00AM